Democratic opposition hardens to legal changes to speed Central American migrants home

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic opposition is growing to legal changes that would speed removals of young Central American migrants, jeopardizing President Barack Obama’s call for $3.7 billion in emergency border spending to deal with the remarkable surge of unaccompanied youths at the South Texas border.

Republicans insist they won’t agree to the spending without accompanying changes to a 2008 law that gives unaccompanied minors arriving from Central American the right to an immigration hearing. In practice that keeps them in the U.S. for years.

But Democratic resistance to such changes has hardened. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi changed her stance Wednesday, announcing her opposition to altering the law in a way that would create shortcuts around the immigration court system for Central American youths. Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus also took a firm stand against any changes in a meeting with President Barack Obama.

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278-a-14-(Congressman Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, in remarks after the Congressional Hispanic Caucus met with President Obama)-“rights are preserved”-Congressman Joaquin Castro says the Congressional Hispanic Caucus opposes changes to a law that would allow the President to speed up deportations of children from Central America. (16 Jul 2014)

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279-a-16-(Congressman Joe Garcia, D-Fla., in remarks after the Congressional Hispanic Caucus met with President Obama)-“of passing legislation”-Florida Congressman Joe Garcia says the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is asking the President not to speed up deportations for the thousands of children coming in from Central America. (16 Jul 2014)